Symptom: Weight loss
Weight loss: Loss of body weight.
Introduction: Loss of body weight can occur due to various conditions ranging from undereating, eating disorders, to severe metabolic conditions including diabetes. Infant weight loss is often classed as failure to thrive. For inadequate growth without weight loss see poor growth. Any unexplained weight loss needs prompt professional medical advice for diagnosis and treatment.
Detailed cause information for symptom: Weight loss:
Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
- Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
- Deaths and sudden death
Types of Weight loss: thinness (4)
Weight loss type of: Common symptoms (662), Body symptoms (150), Weight symptoms (132)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions
Possible causes of symptom: Weight loss: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Weight loss as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.
- Various simple reasons for weight loss include:
- Poor diet
- Increase in exercise or exertion
- Dieting
- Starvation
- Neglect
- Anxiety
- Aging
- Meal preparation or shopping difficulty - such as in the elderly
- Denture difficulties
- Loss of appetite - see the various causes of loss of appetite
- Athletic training
- Mental health disorders
- Substance-related possible causes of weight loss include:
- Alcohol abuse
- Drug abuse
- Amphetamines - cause appetite suppression leading to weight loss.
- Some possible digestive conditions causing weight loss:
- Chronic digestive infection
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Pyloric stenosis
- Malabsorption - see the various causes of malabsorption
- Regional enteritis
- Granulomatous colitis
- Pernicious anemia
- Parasite infestation
- Chronic liver disease
- Short bowel syndrome
- Sprue
- Some other possible medical condition causes of unexplained weight loss:
- Certain infections
- Chronic infections
- Certain metabolic disorders
- Certain kidney disorders
- Certain liver disorders
- Diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Undiagnosed diabetes
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Noncompliance with diabetes treatment
- Hyperthyroidism - causes an increase in metabolic rate.
- Kidney disease
- Pheochromocytoma
- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- Chronic infection - ongoing infections may cause weight loss (often also with loss of appetite).
- Tuberculosis
- AIDS
- HIV
- Pancreatic disorder
- Subacute bacterial endocarditis
- Brucellosis
- Cardiopulmonary disease
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Certain endocrine disorders
- Addison's disease
- Cancer - the fear of many people with weight loss, and a possible cause, but there are also many other causes of weigth loss.
- Stomach cancer
- Stomach carcinoma
- Gallbladder cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Pancreatic carcinoma
- Liver cancer
- Metatstatic liver cancer
- Certain drugs
Medications or substances causing Weight loss: The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Weight loss as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
- Sedatives
- NSAIDs
- Alcohol
- Certain anti-depressants
- Levodopa
- L-dopa
- Certain opiate drugs
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine
- Metformin
- Clonidine
- Diuretics - reduce fluid rather than true weight loss.
- Theophylline
- Digoxin
- ACE inhibitors
- Thryroid hormone supplements
- Certain chemotherapeutic drugs
- See also drugs causing loss of appetite
Conditions listing symptoms: Weight loss: The following list of conditions have 'Weight loss' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Conditions listing complications: Weight loss: The following list of conditions have 'Weight loss' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Last revised: July 10, 2004
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